Manchester United’s fall from grace continues. On Thursday, the Premier League giants fired Michael Carrick, meaning seven permanent managers have now come and gone since the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson retired at the end of the 2012-13 season.

More than 13 and a half years after leaving the Old Trafford dugout, the Scot continues to cast a long shadow over his former club.

In his nearly 27-year spell in charge, Ferguson led United to no fewer than 38 trophies, the highlights of which were 13 Premier League titles and two Champions League victories.

Since the summer of 2013, Ferguson’s seven successors (David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, José Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Erik ten Hag, Ruben Amorim and Carrick) have combined for just seven trophies. Two of those came in the Community Shield, which is not considered a major title.

USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino is the next man the United hierarchy hopes will bring the glory days back to Manchester, with reports suggesting the club is willing to pay U.S. Soccer’s $10 million release clause to bring the Argentine back to the Premier League. That figure will increase if Pochettino’s backroom team, including assistants Jesús Pérez and Miguel D’Agostino, also make the move to England, as expected.

Manchester United’s costly managerial mistakes

The inability to find a suitable replacement for Ferguson has proved costly, not only in terms of on-field success but also financially.

Although it has yet to be revealed how much United will have to pay to part ways with Carrick, the club has reportedly spent almost £80 million (more than $100 million) in compensation for dismissing managers before the end of their contracts.

According to GiveMeSport, United paid the following amounts to part ways with the first six permanent managers who followed Ferguson:

• David Moyes: £5 million ($6.63 million)
• Louis van Gaal: £8.4 million ($11.14 million)
• José Mourinho: £19.6 million ($26 million)
• Ole Gunnar Solskjaer: £7.5 million ($9.95 million)
• Erik ten Hag: £14.5 million ($19.24 million)
• Ruben Amorim: £8.5 million ($11.28 million)

Additionally, Ralf Rangnick initially took on a consultancy role at Old Trafford but ended up becoming interim manager. The Austrian was reportedly handed a £15 million ($19.9 million) payout when his stay ended prematurely.

Altogether, that accounts for £78.5 million ($104.14 million) of United’s money, which you could easily argue would have been better spent elsewhere (a brand-new defense, a top-class goalkeeper, a proven center forward, a mobile central midfielder capable of staying fit, the list goes on...).

Will Pochettino finally break the spell, or will the Argentine be next in line for a huge payoff in the not-too-distant future?

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